GRAIN AND HAY FARMING 



crop, has increased four times in the same 

 period. The oat crop has increased the 

 most rapidly of any since 1880. It is inter- 

 esting, and may be significant, to note that, 

 while the production of wheat and barley in 

 Great Britain has decreased about one-half 

 in thirty years, the production of oats has 

 increased somewhat. 



(5) The greatest rate of increase in the 

 production of cereals in the United States 

 during the last half century has taken place 

 since 1870. This increase is coincident with 

 three other facts of the utmost importance: 



(a) The development of the central West, 

 a treeless plain prior to this period much 

 of the farm land in the United States had 

 been hewn out of the forest, tree by tree; 



(b) the consolidation of the steam railways 

 into transcontinental lines; and (c) the in- 

 troduction of the self-binding harvester. 

 Formerly it took at least five men to do what 

 is done today by one man in the harvesting 

 of cereals. 



141 



